Mennie: 'Bowlers need to communicate a bit better'

CRICKET: Joe Mennie says injuries are par for the course for quick bowlers as he looks set to take the place of the injured Peter Siddle in the second Test against South Africa in Hobart starting on Saturday.

But the 27-year-old said after Siddle became the latest quick to succumb to injury - following the likes of Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile and one-Test wonder Pat Cummins - that bowlers needed to talk to give more information about possible problems.

"There's guys in charge who know what they're doing and what's happening body-wise,” he said.

"Bowlers need to communicate a bit better with the staff as well. Overall I think we're slowly getting there. Fast bowling's tough on the body.

"There's always going to be injuries, always going to be people outside saying 'we need to do this and we need to do that' and 'this is how we did it in the past' and those sort of things.

"But moving forward, the way bowlers are coping these days it's a constant adaption (sic).

"You need to adapt and it's a learning process for everyone.”

Plenty of rain is forecast during the Tasmania Test, which Mennie said was good for seamers.

"This wicket tends to suit bowlers on the overcast days and on the sunny days it tends to flatten out and be a nice track to bat on,” he said. "Any wicket would be fine.

"You get your first one and you're away.”

Meanwhile, former Test batsman Brad Hodge says the time has come to give Glenn Maxwell an extended run in the Test side.

Hodge says there's no point just picking the 28-year-old Victorian for occasional overseas tours of the subcontinent where batting on turning pitches is "devastatingly hard”.

South Australia's Callum Ferguson has been called up into Australia's squad ahead of Maxwell and other potential candidates.

Hodge, who played six Tests and hit an unbeaten double-hundred against South Africa, says he wishes 31-year-old Ferguson the best of luck.

But 28-year-old Maxwell's Shield averages this season and last season are higher than Ferguson's. And Maxwell's career first-class mark of 41.64 sits above Ferguson's 40.23.